Keystone

Carpenters' Hall - Wren

Inscription

Wren

Site: Carpenters' Hall - heads (8 memorials)

EC2, London Wall, 1 Throgmorton Avenue

The building projects over the pavement with an arched colonnade for pedestrians. On the keystone of each arch, at the ends and along the length, there is a head in relief. The west side of the building has been joined to the building on the other side of Throgmorton Avenue with a bridge (see the building next door for a picture) and to the south of this bridge the building carries another keystone head. The bridge is a later addition and it seems likely that originally there were still more keystone heads where the bridge now is. Most of the keystones are helpfully inscribed on their underneath with a name identifying their head, but three are anonymous. Reading the photograph from left to right the heads are:
Soane
William of Wykeham
anonymous
anonymous but identified as Inigo Jones
anonymous satyr
Wren
Vanbrugh
Barry

Wren and Vanbrugh could be sharing the same wig. We've spotted that all the identified personages were architects so that narrows the field for the remaining unknown.

Under the bridge is the entrance to the building, around which there are three inscribed stones. Two of these are rather dull:
- a copy of the inscription of the foundation stone for the original building, laid in 1876,
- commemorating the opening of the Hall on 4 May 1960.
The third is the stone recorded here concerning the start of the rebuilding.

Above the door: SVRREXIT DOMVS, MCMLIX. Translation-guide renders this as "To get up household, 1959", but we get the idea.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Carpenters' Hall - Wren

Subjects commemorated i

Sir Christopher Wren

Born East Knoyle, Wiltshire, died London.  Designer of 54 London churches, o...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Carpenters' Hall - Wren

Also at this site i

Carpenters' Hall - Inigo Jones

Carpenters' Hall - Inigo Jones

This memorial used to be in Puzzle Corner until walking guide Ian Swankie poi...

Read More

Carpenters' Hall plaque - rebuilding

Carpenters' Hall plaque - rebuilding

The plaque refers to the unveiling day being 'Election Day'. There was no Gen...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

ICI - 6 - Alfred Mond

ICI - 6 - Alfred Mond

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

For an idea of what this area used to be like see this 1894ish map. It was all redeveloped following the 1928 flood. This block was desig...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
ICI - 1 - Cavendish

ICI - 1 - Cavendish

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

For an idea of what this area used to be like see this 1894ish map. It was all redeveloped following the 1928 flood. This block was desig...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Nobel House - Dalton

Nobel House - Dalton

SW1, Smith Square, 17, Nobel House

Nobel House is in the south-east of this square, mainly facing north but with a short west-facing facade. The portrait keystones are both...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
ICI - 9 - Liebig

ICI - 9 - Liebig

SW1, Millbank, 9, Imperial Chemical House

For an idea of what this area used to be like see this 1894ish map. It was all redeveloped following the 1928 flood. This block was desig...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Bennet Woodcroft keystone

Bennet Woodcroft keystone

WC2, Southampton Buildings, Old Patent Office

Damaged in WW2 this building was restored in 2007 to the original design for the facade overlooking Staple Inn garden, at least. We know ...

1 subject commemorated